Shelf arrangement for refrigerators or the like



Sept. 23, 1952 .1. s. PALMER 55 5 1 SHELF ARRANGEMENT FOR REFRIGERATORS OR THE LIKE Filed May 9, 1947 4 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Sept. 23, 1952 J. s. PALMER v 2,611,675

SHELF ARRANGEMENT FOR REFRIGERATORS OR THE LIKE Filed May 9. 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY I 5.5 P

Sept. 23, 1952 J. :5. PALMER 1 7 SHELF ARRANGEMENT FOR REFRIGERATORS OR THE LIKE I Filed May 9, 1947 4 sneetsheet s j" 'INVENTOR.

{y Y Jabz H Pczfzzzer Sept. 23, 1952 Y J. 5. PALMER 2,611,675

SHELF ARRANGEMENTFOR REFRIGERATORS OR THE LIKE Filed May 9, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. j/j/yg {yy c fozz 67% Patented Sept. 23, 1952 SHELF ARRANGEMENT FOR REFRIGEIL ATORS on THE IKE :John :S. Palmer, :Evansville, .*Ind., :assignorrto Intel-national Harvester =Company,a lcorporation .ofNew Jersey Application May 9, 1947, S'erial N 037469915 -'This invention relates to a shelf arrangement or-constructionior cabinets or the like. The invention pertainsmore particularly to improve ments in the shelf "arrangements of household refrigerators.

"The conventional household refrigerator is somewhat limited in s'ize' as to its capacity --for receiving and storing foods. Further limitations on the-ability f the refrigerator to accommodate foods and the 'various'receptacles in which theyare placed are imposed by'the size and location 'of 'the evaporator. Most refrigerators are provided with a plurality of horizontal shelves rather closely spaced apart vertically and located below the evaporator. The evapora'tor'is usually positioned at the top of 'the' 'food storage compartment, either centrally thereof or to one side. It is common practice to prov'i'de ltor thestorage of tall receptacles, such as bottles-or the like, in the space at-oneside of the evaporator. "In' 'suh constructions, "housekeepers are always raced with the problem of how to store food items of large sizersuch as water melons, fowl an'clvar'ious foods stored in large receptacles, such 'as gallon containers, casseroles and the like.

Accordingly it is an important object of the present invention to provide in'a household refrigerator an improved shelf arrangement characterlzed in that certain of the shelves -are:pro-' vided as separable sections which may beremoved singly or in' numbers'to accommodate various food storage problems Without interfering with the support -of shelf sections left in the iood'storagecompartment; It is another object of the invention to-provide the removableshel'f sectionsas symmetrical units which'may 'be disposed at difierent levels in the cabinet and which may be associated in position with other shlf sectionseither thereabove or therebelow. A still further object is to provide supporting means for the shelves of such nature as to accommodate the various shelf arrangements, and particularly to be of :such construction as to sup- 3 Claims. (01. 312 351 port certain shelf sections from'below or to suspend certainshelf sections from above' Other Y objectsof the invention are: to make the supviding for wide flexibility in the storage of foods in the refrigerator cabinet.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable ieatures ofthe invention are :set- 'iorth in 'cletail in the following description andaaccom= panying sheets-of rawingai in-which:

Figure 1 ziss-a 'front view o'f a Jtypical'ihousehoid refrigerator ShOWing the improved she1f;arrangementwith fth'e par-ts:in'-whatzmayibe:termedttheir normal positions, 1 the .:'door ro'f -the refrigerator being :removed co-expose "theizfood compartment and'sh'e'lf'arr'angement.

Figure 2 is fan enlarged fragmentary view emphasizing the relationship between the ;shelves and the supporting. .means ither'efor, portions .of the intermediate. :sh'elves :being :broken :away to showithezrearrsupport itherefor. v

Figure '3 :'is=;a front view of :ithe-zsixpporting member per se.

Figure4 is a side'vie'w' .of thesame. p 4

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional 'viEWBShOW" ing the channelrconstruction 5Uf".th' supporting member, ithe lview ibeingitakenion the line 5-"5 ofrEigure;3.-

Figures 16 {to 19 inclusive are :schematic vyiews illustrating the various :.:shelf -tarrangements ob- I .tainahle according "to the :present invention.

- Figure "'10 ;isra'n enlarged sectional 'view show ing the association between thesupportingzmemher and a pair of "verticallyzspaccdzshelf units.'

Figure :11;is a .ira'gm'entaryrview showing the use of :the supporting link when :one shelf :cunit is"supported' 'fromfazshelf unitabove.

Although the drawings :and the i description to follow point to the use of th-e shelf construction in connection with household refrigerators, 'it should be understood that the :principles :of .the invention have wider "application and may "find use in other instances. Accordingly, ?the present disclosure should be takenas illustrative .an'd'not limiting.

For' the purposes of the "present description, there has been shownin the drawings a household -'refrigeratorcomprising "a cabinet having opposite vertical side walls 1-3 and 'l4,"a rear wall 15, andtop andloottom walls f6 and ll respectively. These-walls delineatea"food'storage'compartment. The cabinet 'may include "the usual outer structure and may further include a lower compartment t8 normally closed by a door (not shown) 'within which compartment may be located the usual refrigerating "machinery ("not shown) The'food storage compartment "may be cooled "byan evaporator, such as indicated-at l9 in'Figure 1.

As "shownin Figure 1 thejfood=storage compartment is "subdivided "by a )3 plurality "of shelf structures includinganupper one=piece s'lrel'fifl;

a second or two-piece shelf 2|, a third split shelf 22, and a lower one-piece shelf 23. The space .below the shelf 23 provides for the accommodation of crispers or hydrators 24. The side Wall l3 of the food storage compartment is provided with a plurality of supporting members, here shown as headed-{pins 25. It will befunderstood that there are'at least a pair ofpins in horizontal alinement for each shelf and a similar arrangement is provided at the opposite Wall I 4, there being a plurality of headed pins 23. o

The upper shelf 20 is provided at each of its outer or wall-adjacent edges with depending lugs 21 which cooperate with the pins"25'and 26 to prevent forward displacement of 'the shelf 2|. The outer or wall-adjacent edges of the lower shelf 23 are provided with similar lugs 28 for engaging the lower pins 25 and 26. Insofar as the support of the outer edges of the shelves 2| and 23 is concerned, the construction may be of any type, the particular form of construction shown here being only representative and comprising no partlof the present'invention.

The shelf unit 2| comprises a pair of separable shelf sections 29 and 30, the outer or walladjacent edge of each of which is provided with depending lugs 3| for association with the pins 25 and 26in a manner similar to the association of the lugs 21 on the shelf 29 with the upper pins 25 and 28.. The inner edges of the shelf sections 29 and 39 are closely spaced apart, as will be'apparent. The shelf unit 22 is similar to the shelf unit 2| and comprises a pair of similar shelf sections 32 and 33 supported on the next lower sets of pins 25 and 26 by means of depending lugs 34.

The lower shelf 23 is provided at a central portion of the front edge'thereof with a pair of forwardly projecting supporting elements'preferably in the form of headed pins 35. The upper shelf 29 is provided with a pair of similar supporting elements 36. The'shelf section 29 of the shelf unit 2| is provided at its front edge adjacent its inner edge with a supporting element in the form of a headed pin 3! preferably identical to the pins 35 and 36. The'shelf section 30 is provided with a similar pin 38. The shelf sections 32 and 33 of the shelf unit 22 are provided with similar pins 39 and 40 respectively. These pins, aswill be hereinafter more clearly brought out, form' part .of the means for supporting. the; shelves in various positions in the food storage compartment. 1

A further part of thesupporting means includes a supporting member or link, shown by itself in Figure 3. The link is generally designated by the reference character 4| and includes an elongated body portion 42 preferably formed as a channel in cross-section (Figure and has its opposite ends flattened, one end being designated by the numeral 43 and the other by the numeral-44. The end 43 of the link 4| is provided with a pair of openings 45, which openings are preferably in the form of keyhole slots. One edge of the end portion 43 is provided with a pair of notches 46. The other end of the link is provided with a pair of similar openings 41, each of which is preferably in the form of a double keyhole slot.

The links 4| support the shelf units 2| and 22, or the components thereof, at their forward edges, a detailed description of which will follow. Therearedges of the shelf sections 29, 30, 32, and 33 are supported at the rear wall |5 of the food storage compartment by means of headed pins 48 and depending lugs 49 on the shelf sections (Figure 2).

As shown in Figure 1, the shelf unit 22 is supported above the lower shelf 23 by means of a link 4|. In this arrangement of the shelves the link 4| has its end 43 down and its end 44 up. The notches 46' in the" end 43engage the pins on the shelf 23. The-double keyhole slots 41 accommodate the pins 39 and 48 of the shelf sections 32 and 33 respectively, the pins 39 and resting, of course, at the lower edges of the slots. The link 4| is, in this position, under compression as it supports the shelf 22 from below.

A second link 4| is positioned between the shelf units 2| and 22 with its end 43 up and its end 44 down, so that the notches 46 receive the pins 31 and 38 of the shelf sections 29 and 30 respectively, and so that the keyhole slots 41 in the end '44 receive the pins 39 and 40 of the shelf sections 32 and 33 respectively. In the drawings the upper link 4| is shownas having been connected to the shelves 2| and 22 before the lower link has been connected to the shelves 22 and 23. The particular arrangement is immaterial and either may be positioned before theother. As stated heretofore, the shelf unit 22 is supported from below on the shelf 23 by means of the link 4|. Similarly, the shelf unit 2| is supported from below on the shelf unit 22by means of the second link 4 I. Inasmuch as the shelf '20 is of one piece, it is not necessary to use a link between that shelf and the shelf unit 2| in the shelf arrangement shown in Figure 1;

According to the present invention various shelf arrangements are possible with the elements set forth, so that the shelves may be variously positioned or may be removed so as to vary the spacing between the shelves.

Figure 6 showsan'arrangement of the shelves in which the shelf unit 2| is suspended from the upper shelf 20 by means of a link 4| and in which the shelf unit 22 is supported from below by means of a second link 4|. It will be noted that the link has been removed from between the shelvesv 2| and 22, thus-affording a wide unobstructed storage space between these two shelves. -When the link 4| is used to suspend one shelf unit from an other, it is positioned as shown in Figure 11, with its end 44 up and its end 43 down. In this position the double keyhole slots 4? receive the pins 3'8 on the shelf 20, and the keyhole slots--at-the end 43 of the link receive'the pins 31 and 38 of the shelf sections 29 and 39 respectively. It will be understood, of course, that the link 4| may be positioned for suspension between the shelf 2| and the shelf 22, in which event the link is positioned in a manner similar to that shown in Figure'll.

Figure 7 shows an arrangement in which the shelf section 33 has been removed so as to provide a larger space between the lower shelf 23 and the shelf section 39. The removal of any shelf section does not interfere with the support of the other shelf sections, inasmuch as the inner ends of the shelves are not supported on each other.

In Figure 8 the entire shelf unit- 2! and associated link 4 have been removed. i

In Figure 9 the entire shelf section 22 and associated links 4| have been removed, and one of the links is utilized for suspending the shelf unit 2| from the shelf 29.

It will be understood, of course, that still other arrangements are possible. For example, allthe shelf sections 23, 30, 32, and 33 and both links 4| may be removed. Either of the shelves 2G-or 23 may be removed if any of the other shelf sections are to remain, inasmuch as it requires one or the other of the shelves 20 or 23 to support the shelf sections, either by suspension from above or by tension on the link from below.

The foregoing description of the various arrangements obtainable according to the shelf construction provided by the present invention is set forth as representative of the flexibility of the arrangement provided. Other arrangements are possible and will occur to the user according to the storage problems encountered.

It is not desired that this invention be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obviously many modifications and alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a shelf arrangement of the class described, a link comprising: an elongated member .having an intermediate portion of channel cross-section and provided at opposite ends with integral fiat portions; means providing keyhole openings through the flat portions; and means providing notches in an edge of at least one of said flat portions.

, 2. A shelf construction for a cabinet or the like having spaced apart, vertical side walls, compris ing: a first shelf extending across the cabinet between the side walls thereof; means supporting the wall-adjacent edges of the shelf on the walls; a second shelf paralleling the first vertically spaced therefrom and including a pair of separable sections; means removably supporting the wall-adjacent edges of the second shelf sections on the walls, the inner edges of said sections being closely spaced apart; forwardly projecting pin means at the front edge of the first shelf proximate a central portion thereof providing a supporting element; means on the front edge of each section adjacent the inner edge thereof including a forwardly projecting pin, said shelf section pins bein substantially in vertical alignment with the pins on the first shelf; and means for supporting the inner edges of the second shelf sections from the first shelf, including a supporting link member having openings at one end to receive the first shelf pins and a pair of openings and a pair of slots at the other end whereby in one position the latter openings receive the pins of the sections and support said sections below the first shelf and in another position the slots receive the pins of 6 the sections and support said sections above the first shelf.

3. A shelf construction for a cabinet or the like having spaced apart vertical side walls, comprising; a first shelf extending across the cabinet between the side walls thereof; means supporting the wall-adjacent edges of the shelf on the walls; means at the front edge of the shelf at a central portion thereof including forwardly projecting pins; a second shelf paralleling the first shelf and including a pair of separable sections: means removably supportin the wall-adjacent edges of the second shelf sections on the walls, the inner edges of said sections being closely spaced apart; means on the front edge of each section adjacent the inner edge thereof including a forwardly projecting pin, said shelf section pins being generally in vertical alinement with the pins on the first shelf; means for supporting the inner edges of the second shelf sections on the first shelf, including an independent and reversibly positionable supporting member having openings at one end to receive the first shelf pins and a pair of openings at the other end to receive the pins on the sections and being adaptable for use in one position in tension and in another position in compression; and having said inner edge supportin means constructed and arranged to sup-' port either shelf section separately whereby the remaining shelf section may be supported after one shelf section has been removed.

JOHN S. PALMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 293,894 Loomis Feb. 19, 1884 576,858 Knopfe et a1 Feb. 9, 1897 593,758 Alden Nov. 16, 1897 1,142,297 Boyce June 8, 1915 1,933,042 Belshaw Oct. 31, 1933 1,939,914 Money Dec. 19, 1933 1,981,743 Neel Nov, 20, 1934 2,146,199 Barnhardt Feb. 7, 1939 2,153,682 Vlcek Apr. 11, 1939 2,262,578 Ellis Nov. 11, 1941 2,272,957 Walp Feb. 10, 1942 2,319,470 Nobles May 18, 1943 2,459,879 Amore Apr. 24, 1951 

